Brevo For Non Profits: Email Marketing Brevo Marketing Automation
Formerly Sendinblue
Tired of watching your email marketing budget balloon every time your contact list grows—even though you're only sending occasional newsletters? Brevo's revolutionary volume-based pricing means you pay for emails sent, not contacts stored. Manage 50,000 supporters and send twice a month for $69 instead of $385 (Mailchimp's price). Plus get AI content generation, SMS, WhatsApp, and a built-in CRM—all with a 15% nonprofit discount.
What It Does (The Problem It Solves)
Paying hundreds of dollars monthly to Mailchimp just to store your donor list—even though you only send a few campaigns per year? Brevo flips the pricing model on its head. Instead of charging per contact (which punishes you for growing your list), Brevo charges based on emails sent. For nonprofits with large supporter bases who communicate thoughtfully rather than constantly, this means savings of 50-70% or more.
Here's the real-world impact: A midsize nonprofit with 50,000 email addresses sending two fundraising campaigns monthly pays Mailchimp $385/month ($4,620/year). That same organization pays Brevo just $69/month ($828/year)—a savings of $3,792 annually. Those thousands of dollars can fund programs instead of email storage costs.
But Brevo isn't just about cheaper email. It's a true multichannel platform that combines email, SMS, and WhatsApp messaging with marketing automation and a built-in CRM. The Aura AI assistant generates email content, automatically segments your audience using machine learning, optimizes send times for each recipient, and enriches contact data—capabilities that would cost extra with other platforms or require separate AI tools.
The WhatsApp integration is particularly powerful for nonprofits serving communities where WhatsApp is the primary communication channel. You can send event reminders, program updates, and urgent alerts through WhatsApp (98% average open rate) alongside your email campaigns—all from one platform. Mix and match channels in automated workflows: send an email, follow up with SMS if unopened, deliver WhatsApp messages to international supporters.
What really distinguishes Brevo is its European heritage. As a France-based company, it's GDPR compliant by design, making it ideal for nonprofits with international donors or those who take data privacy seriously. You're not just getting a cheaper alternative—you're getting a thoughtfully designed platform that understands nonprofit constraints.
Best For
Organization Size
- Small to midsize nonprofits with 1,000-100,000 contacts who send thoughtful, strategic campaigns rather than daily emails
- Budget-conscious organizations looking to cut email marketing costs by 50%+ without sacrificing features
- International nonprofits needing GDPR compliance and multichannel reach (email + SMS + WhatsApp)
Best Use Cases
- Monthly newsletters and quarterly fundraising appeals where high contact list costs are disproportionate to sending frequency
- Multichannel engagement campaigns mixing email, SMS, and WhatsApp for comprehensive donor reach
- Transactional messaging like donation receipts, event confirmations, and volunteer shift reminders
- Automated donor journeys from welcome series through lapsed donor re-engagement
- International program updates where WhatsApp is the primary communication channel
Ideal For These Roles
- Development Directors seeking cost-effective donor communication
- Marketing Coordinators managing multichannel campaigns
- Executive Directors watching every budget line item
- Volunteer Coordinators sending shift reminders and updates
- Program Managers communicating with international beneficiaries
Key Features for Nonprofits
Volume-Based Pricing (Not Per-Contact)
Pay for emails sent rather than contacts stored. Manage unlimited contacts on free tier (300 emails/day). For organizations with 50K contacts sending 2 emails/month: pay $69/month instead of $385 (Mailchimp equivalent)—a 82% cost reduction that frees up $3,700+ annually for mission work.
Aura AI Assistant (Content Generation & Smart Segmentation)
AI generates fundraising appeals, volunteer newsletters, and impact stories from simple prompts. Smart segmentation uses machine learning to automatically group donors by engagement level, giving history, and interests—no manual filtering. Send time optimization analyzes individual recipient behavior to deliver messages when they're most likely to engage.
Multichannel Marketing (Email + SMS + WhatsApp)
Reach supporters through their preferred channels—all from one platform. WhatsApp Business API achieves 98% open rates for urgent alerts and program updates. Mix channels in automated workflows: send email → follow up with SMS if unopened → deliver WhatsApp messages to international contacts. Particularly powerful for nonprofits serving communities where WhatsApp is primary.
Marketing Automation & Workflows
Build sophisticated donor journeys without coding: welcome series for new subscribers, abandoned donation cart recovery, lapsed donor re-engagement, anniversary messages, volunteer shift reminders. Triggers include email opens, link clicks, website behavior, donation activity, and custom events. Ready-made templates accelerate setup.
Built-in CRM (Free with All Plans)
Track donor interactions, manage deals, and view complete communication history without paying for a separate CRM or per-contact fees. Includes contact enrichment that automatically pulls job titles, company names, and location data to enhance supporter profiles. Integrates with 150+ platforms including Salesforce, HubSpot, and WordPress.
GDPR Compliance & Data Privacy
European company (France-based) designed for GDPR compliance from the ground up. Built-in consent management, data privacy controls, and subscriber preference centers. Critical for nonprofits with international donors, European operations, or strong data privacy commitments. Subscriber data stays in EU if needed.
How This Tool Uses AI
Brevo's AI capabilities are powered by Aura, an AI assistant integrated throughout the platform that uses generative AI (likely GPT-based models) for content creation and machine learning for behavioral analysis and optimization. Here's what's actually AI-powered versus standard automation:
AI-Powered Content Generation
What it does: Aura generates complete email campaigns, social media posts, and SMS messages from simple prompts. Describe what you want ("fundraising appeal for our annual gala emphasizing matching gift deadline") and receive multiple draft options with subject lines, body copy, and call-to-action buttons.
How it works: Uses large language models (LLMs) trained on millions of marketing messages to understand nonprofit communication patterns. The AI analyzes your prompt, past campaign performance (if available), and your organization's tone to generate contextually relevant content.
What's NOT AI: Template selection, drag-and-drop editing, and basic personalization tokens (like inserting donor names) are standard automation, not AI.
Smart Segmentation (Machine Learning)
What it does: Automatically groups contacts into segments based on engagement patterns, giving behavior, email preferences, and predicted interests—without manually creating filter rules. The system identifies "at-risk donors," "highly engaged volunteers," "potential major gift prospects" and similar categories.
How it works: Machine learning models analyze behavioral patterns across your contact database: email open rates, click-through patterns, donation frequency, recency of engagement, and response to different message types. The AI learns what characteristics predict future behavior (e.g., donors who engage with stories about X program are 3x more likely to give when asked).
Minimum data requirements: Works best with at least 3-6 months of engagement history. New accounts with minimal data will see less sophisticated segmentation initially—the AI improves as it collects more behavioral data.
Send Time Optimization
What it does: Determines the optimal time to send each individual recipient an email based on when they historically engage. Instead of sending your newsletter to everyone at 10am, the AI might send to Recipient A at 7am (when they typically open emails), Recipient B at 1pm, and Recipient C at 8pm.
How it works: Analyzes historical email open and click patterns for each contact across time of day, day of week, and seasonality. Builds individual engagement profiles and uses predictive modeling to forecast the windows with highest open probability. Updates predictions continuously as new engagement data arrives.
Limitations: Requires sufficient historical data per contact (ideally 10+ email interactions). New subscribers receive average optimal times until their individual pattern emerges. Less effective for one-time urgent messages that must arrive at a specific time.
Contact Data Enrichment
What it does: Automatically pulls additional information about your contacts—job titles, company names, locations, social profiles—to create richer supporter profiles without manual research.
How it works: Combines AI with third-party data sources. When you import a contact with just an email address, Aura searches public databases, social networks, and business directories to find matching profiles. Natural language processing extracts relevant information and confidence-scores the matches to avoid incorrect data.
Privacy consideration: Data enrichment pulls from public sources only. Nonprofits should review their privacy policies to ensure supporters understand data enhancement practices.
Bottom Line: Is This Real AI?
Yes, with caveats. Brevo's content generation and behavioral analysis features use genuine machine learning and generative AI models. The smart segmentation and send time optimization improve with data, which is the hallmark of real AI. However, some features marketed as "AI" (like basic automation workflows and if/then triggers) are standard logic-based automation available in most platforms. Aura's AI features are most powerful in the Professional/Enterprise plans—the Starter plan includes basic AI content generation but not advanced segmentation or optimization.
Real-World Nonprofit Use Case
Scenario: Regional Food Bank Cutting Costs While Expanding Reach
Midsize organization with 35,000 supporters, limited marketing budget
The Challenge:
A regional food bank serving three counties had grown their email list to 35,000 supporters (donors, volunteers, partner agencies, and newsletter subscribers) but was paying Mailchimp $280/month despite sending only 2-3 campaigns monthly. The Development Director needed to cut costs but couldn't afford to lose fundraising reach. They also struggled to communicate with their large Spanish-speaking volunteer base who primarily used WhatsApp.
The Solution:
The organization migrated to Brevo and implemented:
- Volume-based pricing that dropped costs from $280/month to $49/month (sending 10,000 emails/month across 3 campaigns) — saving $2,772 annually
- Aura AI content generation to draft monthly impact updates and seasonal fundraising appeals, reducing writing time from 3 hours to 45 minutes per campaign
- Smart segmentation that automatically identified "lapsed donors" (gave previously but not in 18 months) and created a re-engagement workflow that recovered 47 donors in the first quarter
- WhatsApp integration for their 800 active Spanish-speaking volunteers, sending shift reminders, last-minute fill requests, and distribution event updates with 94% open rates (versus 18% for equivalent emails)
- Automated donation receipt workflow triggered immediately after online gifts, with personalized impact messages based on donation amount and program designation
The Results After 6 Months:
- $2,772 annual savings redirected to fresh produce purchases
- 47 lapsed donors recovered generating $8,300 in previously lost revenue
- 22% reduction in volunteer no-shows after implementing WhatsApp reminders (from 31% to 9% no-show rate)
- 5 hours saved weekly on email campaign creation and donor follow-up (Development Director could focus on major gift cultivation)
- Improved donor experience with instant, personalized donation receipts and impact updates tailored to supporter interests
Key Insight: The combination of cost savings and multichannel reach made Brevo transformative for this organization. The WhatsApp capability alone solved a longstanding communication gap with their volunteer base that email couldn't bridge. The money saved funded an additional 8,000 meals for families in need.
Pricing
Free Plan
Perfect for getting started and small senders
- 300 emails per day (9,000/month)
- Unlimited contacts (up to 100,000)
- Drag-and-drop email editor
- Basic reporting and analytics
- Brevo branding on emails
Best for: Very small nonprofits, churches, or grassroots organizations sending occasional updates to local supporters.
Starter Plan
For regular email campaigns without advanced automation
Pricing scales with email volume: $9 for 5K emails/month, $19 for 10K, $29 for 20K, etc.
- Everything in Free +
- No Brevo branding (send from your domain)
- Basic email support
- A/B testing
- Advanced statistics
Best for: Small nonprofits sending regular newsletters and fundraising appeals without complex automation needs.
Business Plan
Marketing automation, AI, landing pages
Pricing scales: $18 for 5K emails/month, $30 for 10K, $49 for 20K, $69 for 40K, etc.
- Everything in Starter +
- Marketing automation (workflows and triggers)
- Landing pages
- Multi-user access (up to 3 users)
- Priority email support
- Facebook ads integration
Best for: Most nonprofits needing automated donor journeys, lapsed donor recovery, and landing pages for campaigns.
Professional Plan (BrevoPlus)
Full AI features, WhatsApp, advanced segmentation
Starts at 20K emails/month; includes WhatsApp, SMS, contact scoring
- Everything in Business +
- Aura AI (full AI assistant, smart segmentation)
- WhatsApp campaigns and API access
- SMS marketing
- Contact scoring and predictive analytics
- Web push notifications
- Advanced ecommerce features
- Phone support
- Unlimited users
Best for: Midsize nonprofits needing multichannel capabilities, full AI features, and international reach via WhatsApp.
Enterprise Plan
Custom solutions for large organizations
- Advanced user permissions and roles
- Sub-account management
- Priority onboarding and training
- Dedicated customer success manager
- SSO and advanced security
- HIPAA compliance (if needed)
Best for: Large nonprofits, healthcare organizations, or institutions needing SSO, advanced security, and dedicated support.
Understanding Volume-Based Pricing
The key to understanding Brevo's value is volume-based vs. contact-based pricing:
- Contact-based (Mailchimp, Constant Contact): You pay for list size. A 50,000-contact list costs $385/month with Mailchimp regardless of how often you send.
- Volume-based (Brevo): You pay for emails sent. That same 50K list sending 40K emails/month costs just $69/month—an 82% savings.
Organizations with large lists who send strategically (monthly newsletters, quarterly appeals) save dramatically with Brevo. If you send multiple emails weekly to your entire list, contact-based pricing might be comparable or better.
Nonprofit Discount: 15% Off All Paid Plans
Verified nonprofits receive 15% discount on Starter, Business, Professional, and Enterprise plans
How to Qualify:
- Must be a registered nonprofit organization (501(c)(3) in US, charity status in other countries)
- Complete Brevo's verification process through sales or support team
- Provide proof of nonprofit status (IRS determination letter, charity registration documents)
How to Apply:
- Sign up for a free Brevo account
- Contact Brevo support or sales team mentioning you're a nonprofit
- Submit proof of nonprofit status for verification
- Once approved, discount applies to all active subscriptions
Savings Example: A nonprofit on the Business plan sending 40K emails/month would pay $58.65/month (instead of $69) with the 15% discount—saving $124.80 annually. Combined with the cost advantage over Mailchimp ($385/month), total savings exceed $3,900 per year.
Learning Curve
Beginner to Intermediate
Basic features accessible immediately; advanced automation requires some learning
Initial Setup: 2-4 hours
- Import contacts from CSV or migrate from Mailchimp (15-30 minutes)
- Set up sender domain and authentication (30-45 minutes with IT help)
- Create your first campaign using template (45-60 minutes)
- Configure basic segments and lists (30 minutes)
Time to Proficiency:
- Week 1: Create and send basic campaigns, manage contact lists, understand reporting
- Week 2-3: Build simple automation workflows (welcome series, donation receipts), create landing pages, explore Aura AI content generation
- Month 2: Implement complex multichannel workflows mixing email/SMS/WhatsApp, use smart segmentation, integrate with your CRM
What Makes It Easier:
- Intuitive drag-and-drop editor similar to Mailchimp—minimal learning if you've used any email platform before
- Ready-made automation templates for common nonprofit workflows (welcome series, lapsed donor recovery, event reminders)
- Guided onboarding flow walks you through essential setup steps
- Comprehensive help documentation with nonprofit-specific examples
Potential Learning Challenges:
- Workflow builder logic requires thinking through if/then conditions and triggers—not intuitive for nontechnical users initially
- WhatsApp setup involves business verification with Meta/Facebook and API configuration (budget 2-3 hours with help docs)
- Contact scoring and advanced segmentation require understanding your data structure and defining meaningful criteria
Bottom Line: If you've used Mailchimp or Constant Contact, you'll feel comfortable with basic Brevo features within days. Advanced automation and multichannel campaigns require 2-4 weeks to master. Plan to invest time upfront—the long-term time savings and cost reductions make it worthwhile.
Integration & Compatibility
CRM & Nonprofit Platforms
- Salesforce (including NPSP)
- HubSpot CRM
- Zoho CRM
- Pipedrive
- Airtable
- Google Sheets
Website & Content Platforms
- WordPress
- Wix
- Webflow
- Squarespace
- Shopify
- WooCommerce
Messaging & Communication
- WhatsApp Business API
- Instagram Direct Messages
- Facebook Messenger
- Slack
- SMS (integrated)
Payment & Donation Platforms
- Stripe
- PayPal
- Donorbox
- Classy
Automation & Workflow Tools
- Zapier (1,000+ apps)
- Make (Integromat)
- n8n (open-source)
- API access (REST)
Data Portability
Integration Ease of Use
Brevo offers three integration methods depending on technical comfort:
- Native integrations: One-click setup for Salesforce, WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce, etc. (no technical skills required)
- Zapier/Make: Visual workflow builders connect Brevo to 1,000+ apps without coding (beginner-friendly)
- API: Developer-friendly REST API for custom integrations (requires technical expertise or developer hire)
Honest Pros & Cons
Pros
- Dramatically lower costs for large lists: 50-80% cheaper than Mailchimp/Constant Contact for nonprofits with many contacts who send infrequently
- True multichannel platform: Email, SMS, and WhatsApp in one place—rare for marketing platforms at this price point
- Generous free tier: 9,000 emails/month free (300/day) with unlimited contacts—better than most competitors
- Built-in CRM included: No extra cost for contact management, deal tracking, and communication history
- Strong AI features (Aura): Content generation, smart segmentation, and optimization included in higher plans (not add-on cost)
- GDPR compliant by design: European company with built-in data privacy—ideal for international nonprofits
- Excellent WhatsApp integration: 98% open rates for communities where WhatsApp is primary communication channel
- 150+ integrations: Connects to major CRMs, donation platforms, and nonprofit tools
- Transactional email included: Donation receipts and automated confirmations at no extra cost
Cons
- Less cost-effective for frequent senders: If you email your entire list multiple times weekly, contact-based pricing (Mailchimp) might be comparable or cheaper
- Limited AI on lower tiers: Basic AI content generation on Starter, but advanced features (smart segmentation, optimization) require Professional plan ($499/month minimum)
- WhatsApp requires Professional plan: Campaigns (not just API) only available on $499+ plans—significant jump from Business plan
- Smaller brand recognition: Less well-known than Mailchimp—may need to explain choice to board members or donors
- Template library smaller: Fewer pre-designed email templates compared to Mailchimp (though still comprehensive)
- Workflow builder learning curve: Automation setup requires more technical thinking than some competitors—not as beginner-friendly initially
- Phone support limited: Only available on Professional/Enterprise plans—lower tiers get email support only
- WhatsApp setup complexity: Requires Meta Business verification and API configuration—not instant like email
Who Should Choose Brevo vs. Competitors:
Choose Brevo if: You have a large contact list (10K+) but send emails strategically (monthly newsletters, quarterly appeals), need multichannel communication (especially WhatsApp), want to cut email costs dramatically, or require GDPR compliance.
Choose Mailchimp if: You send very frequent emails to your entire list, need the most extensive template library, want maximum brand recognition, or are already deeply integrated into their ecosystem.
Choose Constant Contact if: You need beginner-friendly event management built-in, prefer phone support on all plans, or want the simplest possible learning curve over cost optimization.
Alternatives to Consider
Mailchimp
Industry-standard email marketing with extensive features
Best for: Organizations that send frequent emails (daily or multiple times weekly) where contact-based pricing makes more sense. Excellent if you need the deepest template library, most third-party integrations, or maximum brand recognition.
Key Advantages Over Brevo:
- • More robust free tier (1,000 emails/month vs. Brevo's 300/day limit)
- • Larger template library and more design options
- • Better for very frequent senders (contact-based pricing is competitive)
- • Deeper ecosystem and more integrations
Key Disadvantages vs. Brevo:
- • 50-80% more expensive for large lists with infrequent sending
- • No built-in SMS or WhatsApp (requires separate add-ons)
- • No built-in CRM (requires upgrade or integration)
- • Less generous with AI features (charges extra for Assistant)
Pricing: Free up to 500 contacts (1K emails/month); Essentials from $13/month; 15% nonprofit discount
Constant Contact
Beginner-friendly email marketing with event management
Best for: Small nonprofits prioritizing ease of use and customer service over cost optimization. Excellent if you run frequent events and need registration/ticketing built-in without third-party tools.
Key Advantages Over Brevo:
- • More beginner-friendly with simpler learning curve
- • Built-in event registration and ticketing (no integration needed)
- • Phone support on all paid plans (Brevo requires Professional)
- • 50% nonprofit discount through TechSoup
Key Disadvantages vs. Brevo:
- • Contact-based pricing still more expensive for large lists
- • No WhatsApp or multichannel messaging
- • Weaker AI capabilities (basic content generator only)
- • No built-in CRM
Pricing: From $12/month (50% nonprofit discount via TechSoup); no free tier
HubSpot
All-in-one marketing, sales, and CRM platform
Best for: Midsize to larger nonprofits needing comprehensive marketing automation, robust CRM, donor pipeline management, and advanced analytics in a unified platform. Worth the investment if you're replacing multiple tools.
Key Advantages Over Brevo:
- • Enterprise-grade CRM with sophisticated donor pipeline management
- • More powerful automation and lifecycle marketing
- • Advanced reporting and attribution modeling
- • Scales better for complex, large organizations
Key Disadvantages vs. Brevo:
- • Significantly more expensive (Pro starts at $800/month even with 40% nonprofit discount)
- • Steeper learning curve and longer implementation timeline
- • Overkill for small nonprofits with simple email needs
- • No built-in WhatsApp (requires third-party integration)
Pricing: Free tier available; Pro from $800/month (40% nonprofit discount); better for comprehensive solutions than email-only
Quick Decision Framework:
- If budget is your #1 concern and you have a large list: Choose Brevo
- If you send emails constantly (daily/multiple weekly): Compare Brevo vs. Mailchimp pricing for your specific volume
- If you need the easiest tool with phone support: Choose Constant Contact
- If you need WhatsApp for international communities: Choose Brevo
- If you need enterprise CRM + marketing automation: Choose HubSpot
Getting Started with Brevo
Step 1: Sign Up & Calculate Your Savings
Create a free Brevo account (no credit card required). Before migrating, use Brevo's pricing calculator to estimate your actual costs based on:
- Number of contacts in your current list
- Average emails sent per month (multiply contacts Ă— campaigns per month)
- Features you need (automation? WhatsApp? AI?)
Compare this to your current monthly spend. If you're saving $200+ monthly, migration makes financial sense.
Step 2: Import Your Contacts (Start Small)
Don't migrate everything at once. Start with a test segment:
- Export a small segment (500-1,000 contacts) from your current platform as CSV
- Use Brevo's CSV import wizard or direct Mailchimp migration tool
- Map custom fields correctly (donor ID, giving level, last gift date, etc.)
- Send a test campaign to this segment to verify everything imported correctly
Once you're confident, import your full list. Brevo supports imports up to 100,000 contacts on free tier.
Step 3: Set Up Your First Campaign
Create a simple welcome-back email to your supporters:
- Choose a nonprofit-friendly template from Brevo's library
- Use Aura AI to draft content: "Write a warm welcome-back email announcing we've upgraded our email system, thanking supporters for their continued commitment"
- Customize with your organization's voice and branding
- Send yourself test emails to check formatting on desktop and mobile
Step 4: Build One Essential Automation
Start with a high-impact workflow that saves immediate time:
Recommended first automation: Donation receipt workflow
- Trigger: When donation is recorded (via Stripe/PayPal webhook or CRM integration)
- Action: Send immediate thank-you email with donation details and tax receipt
- Delay: Wait 7 days
- Action: Send impact update showing how their gift is being used
This workflow saves 10-15 minutes per donation and dramatically improves donor experience.
Step 5: Apply for Nonprofit Discount
Once you've tested Brevo and confirmed it meets your needs:
- Contact Brevo support via in-app chat or email
- Mention you're a nonprofit seeking the 15% discount
- Provide proof of nonprofit status (IRS determination letter or equivalent)
- Wait for verification (typically 2-5 business days)
- Upgrade to your chosen plan with discount applied
Pro Tip: Run Parallel for One Month
Before canceling your old platform, run Brevo and your existing tool in parallel for 3-4 weeks. Send the same campaigns through both and compare open rates, deliverability, and staff comfort level. This de-risks the transition and ensures nothing is lost. Most nonprofits find Brevo's deliverability matches or exceeds their previous platform within 2 weeks as sender reputation builds.
Need Help with Brevo Implementation?
We help nonprofits migrate to Brevo, build automations, and optimize email strategy
Switching email platforms can feel overwhelming—especially when you're worried about losing contact data, breaking integrations, or confusing your team. One Hundred Nights specializes in helping nonprofits migrate to cost-effective tools like Brevo without disrupting operations.
How We Help:
- Migration planning & execution: We handle contact imports, field mapping, and integration setup so nothing is lost
- Automation design: Build donor journeys, lapsed supporter recovery, and transactional workflows that save hours weekly
- WhatsApp setup: Configure WhatsApp Business API, handle Meta verification, and create multichannel campaigns
- Staff training: Hands-on sessions teaching your team to create campaigns, manage lists, and use AI features effectively
- Email strategy consulting: Optimize send frequency, segmentation, and content for better engagement and donations
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brevo free for nonprofits?
Brevo offers a generous free tier with 300 emails per day (9,000/month) and up to 100,000 contacts—no credit card required. Nonprofits also receive a 15% discount on all paid plans ($9-$499/month range). This makes Brevo significantly more affordable than competitors like Mailchimp, especially for organizations with large contact lists who send emails infrequently.
How is Brevo different from Mailchimp?
Brevo uses volume-based pricing (pay per email sent) while Mailchimp charges per contact. For example, a nonprofit with 50,000 contacts sending 2 emails/month would pay $69/month with Brevo vs $385/month with Mailchimp. Brevo also includes SMS and WhatsApp marketing in standard plans, while Mailchimp charges extra. Choose Brevo if you have large lists with infrequent sending; choose Mailchimp if you send very frequently or are already invested in their ecosystem.
Does Brevo integrate with my CRM?
Yes. Brevo offers 150+ integrations including Salesforce, HubSpot, WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce, and other popular CRM/nonprofit platforms. It also includes a built-in CRM at no extra cost. Native integrations are available for WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, and you can use Zapier or Make.com for additional connections.
What AI features does Brevo include?
Brevo includes Aura AI, an AI assistant that generates and refines email content, creates smart audience segments using machine learning, optimizes send times based on recipient behavior, enriches contact data automatically, and provides chat summaries and response drafts. AI features are included in Professional and Enterprise plans, making it more accessible than competitors that charge separately for AI.
Can Brevo send SMS and WhatsApp messages?
Yes. Unlike many email marketing platforms, Brevo includes SMS and WhatsApp capabilities in the same platform. WhatsApp Business API integration is free to set up with conversation-based pricing (pay only for what you send). WhatsApp campaigns are available in Professional and Enterprise plans and achieve 98% average open rates. You can mix email, SMS, and WhatsApp in automated workflows for multichannel donor engagement.
How long does it take to migrate from Mailchimp to Brevo?
Basic migration (importing contacts and recreating 2-3 simple campaigns) takes 2-4 hours. Brevo supports CSV import and has native Mailchimp migration tools. Recreating automations takes additional time (4-8 hours depending on complexity). Plan 1-2 weeks for your team to become comfortable with the new interface. Brevo offers guided onboarding and ready-made templates to accelerate setup.
Is Brevo GDPR compliant for international donors?
Yes. Brevo is a European company based in France and is GDPR compliant by design. The platform includes built-in tools for consent management, data privacy, and subscriber preferences. This makes it particularly suitable for nonprofits with international donor bases or European operations.
Ready to Cut Email Costs by 50%+?
Join thousands of nonprofits using Brevo to save money, reach more supporters across multiple channels, and automate donor engagement—all while freeing up budget for mission work.